Nick Stokes, Family Man
by Bryn Elizabeth
Summary: Nick Stokes has more than he had ever dreamed of. His family is everything to him. This is the story of the Stokes family.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I have had this story in my head for a while, and now I've decided to write it down and post it! Okay, so this is the introduction and all the other chapters will be him remembering. I'll try to update often. I have Miss Mila helping me again along with our friend Alex. So, enjoy!!**

Nick Stokes loved his family. Back when he was younger, before he met Grace or Alixandrya, he never would have imagined himself as a family man. Sure, he knew that one day he wanted a wife and kids, but a life like this had never crossed his mind. But he loved it. It was amazing, more than he could have ever wanted in his wildest dreams. And it was _his_ life. He was really the luckiest man in Vegas, even if he never won big time in the casinos.

His family had built itself up gradually. Riley had always been his best friend and little sister, even when they were fighting over her relationship with Greg that ended up being fantastic and producing two beautiful girls just like their parents. Grace had come next, his little girl, his rescue. The one he had fought harder for than he had ever fought for anything in his life. The one that had filled him with emotions he had never felt. And Alix. She was everything. She was his other half, the one he fell head-over-heels for fast. She was the love of his life and the mother of his children. He loved spending time with the people he loved.

He liked nights like these, with the whole family. Gracie was spread eagle on the floor, her nose in a book. Austin was eating, of course. Savannah was painting her nails on the ottoman, a concentrated look on her face that Nick recognized well. Warrick's attention was, as usual, entirely focused on the football game in front of him, asking curious questions every play. Cassie colored on the floor with her new crayons she guarded protectively. Riley and Alix talked in whispers about everything, laughing melodically often. Greg was on the floor, watching the game and answering his nephew's questions. Lourdes was on her new laptop, instant messaging, like she did constantly. McKenna had her headphones in her ears, which was pretty much permanent.

And then there were the people who weren't blood related but he definitely considered family. Grissom sat with his arm around Catherine, Anna on his lap. The family looked very comfortable. Grissom talked to Anna in a voice no one thought the man possessed, answering her questions about everything. The girl was about Cassie's age and so much like her father. Catherine smiled at her husband, her head resting on his shoulder as she, like Nick, took in the scene around them. Lindsey was on the floor, asleep.

Nick smiled proudly, kissing his wife on her cheek. His family was everything to him. His wife, his children, his sister and brother-in-law, his nieces and his best friends were his life. His heart felt like the size of the football arena on the television in front of them.

As he watched his family do the little things they always did, he remembered so many things about them. He felt nauseous remembering Gracie's past, along with the rage that always came up and the gush of emotions that he remembered feeling for the first time. As he looked at Alix he still felt weak-kneed and butterfly-stomached even after all these years of being with his sweet, emotional, perfect wife. Austin and Savannah were special because of how much he had wanted them and because Austin was his oldest son and Savannah was his clone, as Alix always said. Warrick was his curious little boy, but he still felt the sadness remembering the circumstances under which he had been born and named. And there was little Cassie, sweet, sweet Cassie, the baby of the family.

Riley, his loaded pistol of a little sister had a whole plethora of story behind her. Greg had turned into way more than Nick ever would have thought, becoming a family man in his own unexpected way. Lourdes cracked him up, the perfect combo of Greg and Riley: crazy and smart in an amazing way. McKenna was more like Greg than anything, but she trailed after her older sister like Riley trailed after Nick when they were younger.

Everyone knew there had always been something between Grissom and Catherine, and they made a great family. Little Anna Miracle was the last thing anyone would have expected, especially Grissom and Catherine. The Grissom family had everyone's respect and love. Anna had everyone wrapped around her little finger, especially her father, and the change in Gil Grissom was enough to add them to the family and the story worth knowing.

After the Sanders and Grissom families went home and all the kids were settled into bed, Nick lay awake listening to Alix breathe rhythmically, the smile on her face conveying she was having a pleasant dream. He smiled and turned on his side, watching her, and remembering.

**A/N:** **Ah, Nicky. How I love him. And Greggo. And Grillows. And now Riley and Alix. And I love how all the men have gone soft. So this is what happened to give Nick Stokes the family he loves... **


	2. Riley Anne

Riley Anne Stokes was used to pushing her way out of her older brother's shadow. In the beginning, she didn't mind. She liked being known as Nick's little sister. A lot of the motive behind her own achievements unique from his was to make him proud of her.

They were three years apart and opposite genders, but they had always been best friends all growing up. They shared everything- especially secrets. She followed him in all he did, striving to be just as good as he did, to do everything he did. He was her best friend and idol.

To top it all off, the brother and sister duo looked exactly alike. They both had straight black hair- though Nick's was ear-length and Riley's to her waist- and dark chocolate brown eyes. Their collection of facial expressions were identical; the signatures being the "oh please" look and the concentrating look.

But everything changed when Nick went away to college and Riley was left at home.

She was almost lost those first few days. Without Nick, she was unsure of her movements. She had long-term goals, the ones that he had already filled, but the moment was unclear. The confidence that came with her brother was gone.

But this didn't last very long. Soon she was known as the sarcastic loaded-pistol everyone loved. Not the second half of the Stokes duo. And she was fine with that too.

But she did miss him. It _was _like she was only half of who she should be. She missed having someone she could share everything with, someone she could look up to.

His letters became less and less like he talked to her. When the letters were tear-stained and she told him of every little hurt, he didn't ask who he had to beat up. When she told him she had a new boyfriend, he didn't tell her to tell them that if they broke her heart he would break their face. She was out of his life and she felt forgotten.

She thought it would be better when she left for college; that things would go back to the way they had been before. But she was very wrong. He was a _senior _and she was a _freshman _and he acted like he barely knew her, because apparently it wasn't cool to have a little sister.

Riley acted like this didn't bother her much, which wasn't hard to do since she was so busy with her criminal justice classes (where the teachers had enough sense to ignore the fact that Nick majored in the same thing). She was following in his footsteps, as always. Like it should be.

He graduated and became a police officer. They talked, mostly him helping her with school. He was an adult now. She knew that things would never be like they had for the first sixteen years of her life.

Finally, she graduated and became the same thing he did: Officer Stokes. But, unfortunately for her, by then he was Detective Stokes and working on becoming a Crime Scene Investigator. So, she worked too and was a detective within two years. He became a CSI Level 1 and she worked as hard as she could to be there with him within a year. They were back on the same page, almost. He would be promoted before her, but for now they were at the same level and eventually they would both be at the top.

And then, in the middle of her rookie year, they unanimously decided that the reputation of their father, Judge Stokes, had become too much for them. It was Nick's idea to move and Riley was the one who suggested the place. Las Vegas, meet the Stokes Duo.


End file.
